Bringing Puppy Home Can Be Stressful! Let us help!

We have created an easy to follow list of all the things you will need when you bring your puppy home! This list is specific to Doodle’s. We have got your covered from dog bed’s to combs and brushes. Our puppies are life here, let us share a few of our favorite things with you!

Number 1 LIFESAVER For A New Pup:

Just do it, you wont regret it. This puppy will help you and your new puppy get some good sleep, believe me, it works!

Dog Bed’s:

Our top favorite for when you bring puppy home is this bed mat! It is easy to clean up after accidents and still lets your new baby sleep on a soft and comfy bed!

When that little pup starts to grow and learn to control it’s bladder a little better it is time to switch to a big dog bed! Doodle’s tend to sleep hot, so a big fluffy dog bed doesn’t normally get used as often as we would think. Here is our client top pick for these hot doodles to sleep on:

Brushes and Combs:

As far as brushes and combs for your doodle you will need a few kinds! We have to make sure we get that top coat nice and smooth but the undercoat is the most important. If you want to keep away mat’s and keep your dood comfortable check out the three brushes below!

Chris Christensen combs are the very best that you can buy. You might go with a cheaper option but you will buy 3-4 in place of just one. These brushes are top quality and we LOVE them here at the Range.

After a thorough brushing, you need to still get down to the skin and make sure there are not mats. This metal comb is our comb of choice for a quick once-over. It is super important to get down to the skin so you don’t have hot spots on you pup.

Pro-tip: If you do get mat’s, use some cornstarch and rub it into the mat. Work it in for a few minutes and it will help loosen the knot. You should be able to comb through it or at least get it away from the skin to be removed!

Lastly, we use a slicker brush. This helps to get down deep but also removes debris. It makes life so much easier when you have a doodle coat to care for. We prefer Chris Christensen again for quality! We have quite a few dogs to brush and care for and this brand stands up to the test!

Supplements:

At Open Range we desire to treat all of our dogs as naturally as possible when things come up. We have created a regimen to build their immune system’s from the time they are small by using diatomaceous earth once a month for 1 week and probiotics every day! We start this at 4 weeks old here at the house and we recommend you continue to keep their immune systems thriving and able to stave off things like Giardia, Coccidia and worms of all kinds.

The Diatomaceous Earth HAS to be food grade – our favorite brand:

Probiotics are a huge step in the right direction in helping our pups remain healthy and happy! Here is what we use at the house before they head home:

My favorite supplement by far is our K9 Puppy Power. This stuff is a formula for both puppies and momma's to be on. It is full of helpful vitamins, minerals and healthy fats for the dogs:

Food and Water Bowl’s:

This seems like a no-brainer! But again, our experience tells us that not every bowl works. Our dood’s tend eat so fast they seem like they are racing. This is tough on their digestive tract as they don’t actually chew much food! Our favorite bowl for them is this maze bowl. Why? It helps them take their time and learn to go slow. This helps their digestion from top to bottom!

Water is much the same. You are either dealing with a marathon drinker OR the dreaded wet beard after a good drink. Instead of following our guys around the house with a towel we use the slobber stopper. This gives them access to only a little bit of water at a time and keeps that beard nice and dry. Again, feels a bit expensive but we have found it to be the best bowl for our guys. Check it out:

Food:

We have found at Open Range that Best Breed Puppy chow is the best option. We have tried many, MANY other foods and none of them have quite passed the test. We look for 3  things in this order exactly:

#1. Quality

Best Breed has high-quality ingredients with complex carbs to help the dogs live a top quality life. We have researched and researched and this food has what we need to keep the dogs healthy.

#2. Uses a little bit of grain with COMPLEX carbs

#3. Cost

Just like our clients, we have to be able to do the best we can for our dogs within our budget. We have been nothing but impressed with this food and its ability to take care of our dogs in all stages of their development

Dr. Gary's Best Breed can be found on Chewy.com

Bath Time:

If you are planning on bathing your pup at home there are few things that can make that so much easier for you, and your back The shampoo’s that we use at the Range are different depending on the dog. Our puppies get Oatmeal shampoo. This is to help them get used to the bath with out burning their eyes if they accidentally get soap in their face.

Some people like to stick with this as it is a nice mild way to clean your dog. Once our dogs reach one-year-old, their coats will start to change. You will start to get that adult coat in and keeping mats away seems impossible. We have them all switch over to Cowboy Magic:

Treats:

This is the question I get the most, literally, all the time! What is ok?

It is important to note that most doods have a sensitive stomach and do not do well on poultry. I like to stick with a grain free treat and never rawhide or Nyla bones for chewing. This is the most common thing that the dog swallows once it is chewed down. This results in surgery because the pieces get stuck in the intestine.

So what can you use? Check out these Open Range approved treats:

Antler Chew’s :

Hallow bones: These are the BEST!! Some people will buy a kong ball but for us at the house, these are our favorite! We fill them with plain greek yogurt and freeze them. Then your baby has fun getting all that yogurt out and keeping busy not chewing up your house You can use peanut butter and or a raw filling in them as well. We do not reccomend buying the filled bones as the filling is…well, nasty. It is better to use a filling that you have put in and know the ingredients

Limited Ingredient Treats: These are our fav for training the pups! They love them and will do whatever you ask!

As your puppy gets older you can experiment with different kinds of treats, but when they are young we reccomend they stay with this list for their sensitive tummies.

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Household Items for Small Pup:

You can’t always be there keeping an eye on your puppy! So on this list, you will find some things that we love to help keep pup safe and being good in the home.

Kennel:

We use a 36-inch wire kennel with a divider so that you don’t have to keep buying a kennel at each stage of growth. Just move the divider as they grow:

Potty Pads:

We know not everyone wants to use these or start here, but we find them invaluable!

Play Pen:

This just saves you a headache with potty training. You can put your pup in here and take that important call with out worrying what they are eating up in your home.

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Ok! That’s it! If you have question’s or other things your would like included on this list please email dawn@openrangepups.comand we will get right back to you.